Oregon Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onion Tart
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 pound butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- *4 cups caramelized onions
- 4 cups crumbled Oregon blue cheese
- 2 cups grated Swiss cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh thyme
- 2 cups half and half
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
Place the flour, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in the work bowl of a food processor.Pulse until combined. Add the chilled butter and pulse until the mixture resemblescoarse cornmeal. Add the eggs and pulse until mixture starts to form a dough.Remove from the work bowl and gently knead on a lightly floured work surface. Forminto a ball and flatten into a disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for about 1 hour orovernight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface tofit a 13” x 18” jelly roll pan or half sheet pan. Line the pan with the dough, makingsure there are no cracks. Chill the dough for 30 minutes again. Line the dough withfoil and fill with baking weights or beans. Place in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutesor until the edges just begin to brown and the dough is set. Gently remove the foil andbean, and then put the pan back in the oven and cook until the dough is almostcooked, about 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven; sprinkle the caramelizedonions, chopped thyme, Swiss cheese and blue cheese evenly over the partially bakedshell. Whisk together the custard ingredients and then drizzle the custard over theingredients until it is just barely filled. Return to the oven and bake until the custard isset and the tart lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove and cool before cuttinginto squares. Makes about 80 squares.
*To caramelize onion, thinly julienne 6 large yellow onions. Heat a heavy bottomedlarge sauté pan over medium high heat, add 2 tbs olive oil and add 1/3 of the onions.Sauté until they are completely softened and browned to a caramel color, adjust theheat as needed. Remove from the pan and repeat until all the onions are cooked. Youmay need to wash the pan between batches if there are browned.